I watched my friends perish under a great wave. The storm came without warning, as black as night, catching our convoy unaware. I barely escaped the storm's gaping maw by stealing away on a smaller vessel while my crew were in a frenzy. I led them to their deaths, yet I fled for my life. Pathetic.
I thought about my wife and children, how I promised them I would return with foreign spices and tell them the incredible adventures I had embarked on. I feared for them, for my people never treated widows and orphans well.
The raft had a small sail to allow the winds to guide it, but I didn't know where I was. To allow any wind to carry me would be to push myself into total uncertainty. I could find land in days, or never find land at all. I couldn't trust that type of uncertainty, not as a sailor.
I planned to wait till nightfall and use the stars as a guide to plot a course, of course to God knows where. But to trust random winds was against everything I stood for. I looked up at the sky and couldn't help but worry.
Above me was a clear blue sky with little puffy clouds, and below me was a strangely peaceful ocean. Any sailor could tell you that these signs were harbingers of a terrible storm. I had no food and no water as well, so I found myself stuck between a rock and a hard place. It was only a matter of time before one of three predicaments would get me.
I looked around me, hoping I took something useful with me when I escaped. Except for my soaked English clothing and an oar, there was nothing. I vowed never to cry, but my current situation nearly brought me to tears. I sat and grabbed my hair, thinking of how I could save myself.
***
When evening came, I could see the black clouds forming. The air was getting humid and the waters began to ripple slowly. I knew I wouldn't be able to see the stars, not in the middle of a storm. Even if a miracle allowed me to see, I had to survive the storm long enough to determine which constellation I was looking at.
I wasn't the religious type, but my wife always held on to a cross and prayed for my safety the nights before I travelled. I didn't believe there was such a thing as a benevolent God who cared for us. It made no sense to me.
The black clouds had formed great columns in the sky and with the red hue of sunset, death looked beautiful. I lowered the sails and waited patiently for the first raindrop to touch me. I would have surrendered to fate, but I thought of my family and the desire to live flared up within me.
At that moment, the first raindrop landed. I looked up and saw monstrous clouds had covered the entire sky. A torrent of rain came down almost immediately after the first drop. It was unlike anything I had experienced. I could have sworn I heard a monster's call.
To make matters worse, I could feel the waves rising, the waters were becoming unstable. The raft began to bob on the surface of the ocean and I rowed the boat fearfully, unsure of which direction to go. There was no course, no purpose.
A huge tide finally appeared in the distance. The final struggle with death would soon begin. A smaller wave bashed my raft from the left, nearly tossing me into the ocean. I wanted to make a cord that would fasten me to the raft, but I feared the raft could get turned over and I wouldn't be able to escape. There wasn't enough time to hatch the plan anyway.
A large wave came from under, raising the raft meters above the ocean. I panicked as I attempted surfing with the raft. I was already drenched by the rain, and the tossing and turning was rapidly consuming my strength.
The wave tossed me and my raft through the air and submerged. My lower body ached with pain as the raft landed in the raging waters. I barely recovered from that experience when I saw a huge column of water, towering over me like a giant monster. My arms weakened.
I felt a weight I never felt before. I always saw water as light, neutral and innocent till that very moment. This water felt... evil. I was underwater for minutes, separated from the raft. The torrents tossed me around like nothing and I knew I would die there.
My life flashed before my eyes. I saw my wife and her coy smile, and the times we spent together. I saw my two children and their toothy grins. Then I saw my wife praying with a cross, on her knees. Then it dawned on me. I was told of a benevolent God up in the skies. I closed my eyes in the turbulence of the waters and projected a single thought.
'God... if you're real, please help me.'
Immediately, I felt a warm flow of water carry me upwards and towards my raft. Strangely, it was floating above the raging waters, undamaged. That warm flow tossed me out of the raging waters and into the raft. The waters raged even harder now, but I felt something I had never felt in a storm. Peace.
'Release the sails.' I heard a voice say.
I obeyed, having realised I was experiencing a miracle. I completely forgot about my expert opinion that told me not to trust random winds. I began untying the ropes that bound the sails, and as I did, I felt another wind blow in from what I concluded was the east.
It was warm and gentle, yet the force that it imparted on the raft sent it surging forward over the waves. I lost control of the raft and watched in awe as it rode over the waves. I didn't know when I fell asleep.
***
My wife cried harder when I concluded my story. She stood up and rushed at me, hugging me tight, as if she'd never let go.
Every night before bed, along with my wife, i kneel to pray to the benevolent God up there.
End.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Romans 10:13 KJV
Author's notes: Hi! I don't know what storms you're currently facing, but there's really the benevolent God up there. He's mighty to save you. Would you rather perish in the storm or reach out for him?
Like and subscribe for more faith-inspiring stories, thank you for reading! God bless you.
Acknowledgements: Image by bearfotos.
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